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<title>split the lark by afoolwhodreams</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083431">split the lark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/afoolwhodreams/pseuds/afoolwhodreams'>afoolwhodreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dickinson (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, Love, Season/Series 02, set after the end of 2.06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:08:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/afoolwhodreams/pseuds/afoolwhodreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>So what happened after the opera?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emily Dickinson &amp; Susan Gilbert Dickinson, Emily Dickinson/Susan Gilbert Dickinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>142</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>split the lark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So what, you’re leaving me here?”</p><p>“You can take the carriage back to the hotel.”</p><p>“Alone?”</p><p>“Or with whoever you want.”</p><p>Sue stared at her husband, speechless. Austin gave her one last cold look, turning around and leaving her without a second thought.</p><p>Sue took a deep breath, leaning on the banister of their box, looking down at the theatre’s patrons chatting away as they left the hall. She tried to shake off the feeling of unease Austin had left, putting on a brave face and a dazzling smile as she had become so used to doing.</p><p>She walked down the stairs and into the theatre’s hall. As she was about to turn towards the exit, she heard a familiar sound, one she now mostly heard in the distance, seldom in her presence. Austin’s laugh.</p><p>She followed the sound with her eyes and noticed her husband with a couple other young men and women, drinking and laughing together. She recognised one of the girls as a dancer from the opera.</p><p>Sue quickly made her way towards the back of the hallway, scared she might be noticed. She forced a smile as she crossed paths with some acquaintances leaving the theatre, and finally found refuge in a small corridor in the back.</p><p>Feeling something wet on her face, she touched her cheek and realised she was crying. Not for Austin per se. Not even for their marriage, really. She just could not bear the thought of people seeing the cracks in the perfect life she had worked so hard on building for herself.</p><p>Something blue in her peripheral view caught her eye. Emily’s dress had disappeared behind a heavy curtain. Was that- no, it couldn’t be.</p><p>And yet it was. Emily was on stage with Adelaide May. Sue smiled to herself. Of course she was. She was Emily, after all.</p><p>Sue didn’t mean to eavesdrop or intrude, but she was also sure she did not want to leave, alone. Somehow she knew she needed Emily. So she kept a respectable distance, content with watching from the shadows. She did not know what the actress said to Emily, but when she left, her friend seemed pensive. </p><p>When the theatre clerk reprimanded her for staying behind, that’s when Sue decided to make her presence known, taking a step towards the stage, still hidden from view from the audience.</p><p>“Emily. Psst. Emily!”</p><p>“Sue? Is that really you?”</p><p>“Of course it’s me, who else would it be?”</p><p>Sue offered her her hand.</p><p>“Come on, let’s go!”</p><p>Emily took her friend’s hand and they ran off together, the clerk’s muffled protests fading in the distance.</p><p>They ran til they reached the theatre’s entrance, only stopping to catch their breath and giggle happily.</p><p>“What are you doing still here?”</p><p>“I-“</p><p>Sue faltered for a moment. She glanced at her carriage still waiting a few feet away, motioning towards it.</p><p>“I thought you might need a ride home.”</p><p>Emily smiled.</p><p>“I would love that.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“So did you like the opera?”</p><p>They were sitting next to each other in the back of the carriage. As soon as Sue spoke, Emily turned towards her and started speaking animatedly, taking Sue’s hands in the process.</p><p>“Oh Sue, it was incredible! Absolutely life shattering!”</p><p>Sue laughed a little.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing, it’s just, you’re describing something terrible with the biggest of smiles.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s terrible at all. To feel something so deeply it completely takes your breath away.”</p><p>Sue let herself stare into Emily’s eyes for a few moments, her friend’s passionate words as intoxicating as always, but she looked away soon after, quickly changing the subject.</p><p>“So how was sharing the box with Sam?”</p><p>Emily let go of Sue’s hands, now her turn to avoid her friend’s gaze.</p><p>“Oh. It was… good. Great view. Yeah, good.”</p><p>“Did anything happen? Did he… He didn’t try anything, did he?”</p><p>“What? Oh no, Sue, he would never. It was… me.”</p><p>Sue furrowed her eyebrows.</p><p>“You?”</p><p>“I… I’ve written to Mary.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Sue invited her to continue with a head nod.</p><p>“I guess what I wrote might have come off as ambiguous.”</p><p>“Ambiguous how?”</p><p>“I might have said Sam is like the sun and I’m his daisy and I’d die without his warmth. Something like that.”</p><p>Emily half mumbled.</p><p>“You what?”</p><p>“It’s not what it sounds like, it’s just- ever since he agreed to publish my poem it’s like the daylight has finally hit my life and I don’t want to be in the shadows anymore and I just wanted Mary to know how grateful I am for him.”</p><p>Sue sat back a little, thoughtful. Emily was once again turned to her, studying her expression worriedly. </p><p>“Sue, please say something.”</p><p>She took a deep breath before speaking again, still not looking at Emily.</p><p>“You’re a passionate writer, Emily. I’m sure both Mary and Sam will understand that and it’ll all blow over eventually.”</p><p>Emily nodded, unconvinced. Sue kept avoiding her gaze.</p><p>“Are you mad at me?”</p><p>Sue finally turned to her. She smiled wistfully.</p><p>“No, Em, I’m not mad.”</p><p>Emily moved closer, taking Sue’s hand in hers.</p><p>“Then what is it?”</p><p>“I just didn’t think it was still there.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“This thing, this… jealousy.”</p><p>They stared at each other silently for what felt like an eternity, but was only a few seconds.</p><p>“It’s still hard to remember sometimes that you’re not mine.”</p><p>Emily surged forward, capturing Sue’s lips with her own, taking her face in her hands. Sue returned the kiss eagerly. Emily noticed the tears on her face when she pulled away.</p><p>“You know what I saw tonight when I heard Adelaide May sing?”</p><p>Sue shook her head softly, one of Emily’s hands still on her cheek, lightly caressing it with her thumb.</p><p>“You. That earth shattering, heart wrenching, breath taking feeling that I got? It was all you, Sue. It will always be you. Forevermore.”</p>
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